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Topic: Which Cocoa Powder for a Mocha Stout (Read 2186 times)

Nesquik is mostly sugar. According to the nutrition info, 13g of each 16g serving is sugar (that's 81%). Most of the other ingredients you don't need in beer either, but nothing that will hurt fermentation. The sugar means you'll have to add at least 5 times more nesquik by weight to get the same chocolate flavor. Also, the chocolate flavor is from - cocoa powder.

Looking at the sugars in the Nesquik, it says they are maltodextrin and sucralose, meaning unfermentable (mostly) sugars. So I should retain sweetness from the Nesquik, right? Next time I may try something different, as mentioned, like baker's chocolate or Ghiridelli(sp) but can't get to the store right now. Thanks for the help. I will let you all know what I ended up doing and how it turns out.

Ooohhhhh. You must have the no sugar added Nesquik. The one I was looking at, sugar was the first ingredient. Maltodextrin increases body more than sweetness in my experience. Sucralose is Splenda. It will provide sweetness, but it's different from malt sweetness. At least more of that Nesquik is actually cocoa powder, it's the first ingredient.

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How would I determine the gravity contribution from cocoa powder? I added 4 oz.

it has none. or at least none to speak of. whatever sugars are present will have an effect but 4 oz in 5 gallons is tiny even if it's pure sugar. 4 oz is about what I use to carb a 5 gallon batch. in 5 gallons of water it would result in a gravity ~ 1.002. given that your cocoa mix is mostly, or at least partially cocoa powder it will be less than that and you would not be able to measure it.

How would I determine the gravity contribution from cocoa powder? I added 4 oz.

it has none. or at least none to speak of. whatever sugars are present will have an effect but 4 oz in 5 gallons is tiny even if it's pure sugar. 4 oz is about what I use to carb a 5 gallon batch. in 5 gallons of water it would result in a gravity ~ 1.002. given that your cocoa mix is mostly, or at least partially cocoa powder it will be less than that and you would not be able to measure it.

Since I did a 10-gal batch it'd be even more minuscule then I guess. I did end up using the Nesquik and it was noticeable in the wort. Quite tasty!

This beer is now on tap and it's exactly what I was shooting for. The residual sweetness from the cocoa powder is there but balanced nicely by the roast of the roasted barley and bitterness of the cacao nibs. Very pleased. 6.5% ABV